Il'gynoth's Warning: The Subversion of Azeroth
by Trollcraft
Summary: He warned us, we didn't listen thinking they were just the deluded ramblings of a corrupted tree. Now with the Burning Legion's final defeat, things are falling into place and, one by one, Il'gynoth's cryptic messages and prophecies are coming true. Ss'Oros, the Old God of Subversion, has awakened and has rallied the other three Old Gods to his cause. Can he be stopped?
1. Our Earth, Our Strength

**DISCLAIMER: This story was written before the announcement of Battle for Azeroth. As such, for the purpose of this story, BFA and everything after it is considered non-canon, it never happened. This story is a parody of Warcraft. Therefore, it falls under fair use of Blizzard's copyright and you also shouldn't take it too seriously. Enjoy LOL!**

 _"From the earth, he draws strength. Our earth. Our strength." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

Deep within the crust of Azeroth...

"Gentlemen, do you know why I called this meeting?" N'Zoth asked.  
"Hey! You do know I'm actually a girl! Right? Have you come to apologize for getting it wrong again?" Yogg-Saron replied very angrily and constantly shifting between hi... I mean... her grotesque form and Sara the vrykul.  
"Because your heart is failing? You are both overweight! Even by Old God standards! Yes, you are very fat indeed!" C'Thun said.  
"No, you disrespectful heathens! I want you both to join me in session of scriptural study. Hear the wise words of our Void Lords and be humbled in horror! Cast away any infidelic thoughts and be reminded of your mission here on Azeroth. Behold... the Twilight Canticle!"

The unholy tome hovered glowing as the other two Old Gods looked confused.

"Yeah... this was like, really not necessary. We get it dude, we're here to corrupt stuff. Plus, it's fun trolling the mortals so I don't need any extra motivation," Yogg replied before N'Zoth could start to ramble again.  
"This is a complete waste of time," C'Thun whispered to Yogg.  
"I know, but keep your whispering to a minimum, we're not supposed to drive each other mad... not yet," Yogg whispered back.  
"Yogg-Saron, you philistine, hold back your tongue... all of them! The Void Lords will not be mocked! You will not disrupt our communion with the Void! Is that not right, C'Thun?"  
"No," C'Thun coldly replied.  
"Whatever, dude..." Yogg dismissed his threats.  
"For as it was in the beginning and the end, the Light's degeneration hadth knew no bounds! Where thy Light dwelteth Void hadth been usurped!" N'Zoth began rambling.  
"Yawn!"  
"The very idea is inconceivable to our Void Overlords! Sharing our earth? OUR strength with us? NO! The infidels can barely tolerate thine presence on Azeroth! Behold, for it is written in the 12th chapter verse 39: Thy Void cometh thee! On comets of broken spines and callous intestines swinging through the Great Dark Beyond! The flesh commenceth upon the red cliffs until the black goat bringeth forth a rise. A rise... of the Blackened Empire upon the rims of a celestial existence and the seven serpent orbitals!"  
"Your speech is unintelligible," C'Thun coldly replied but N'Zoth continued his rambling.  
"You will not mock the Twilight Canticle, C'Thun! Listen and obey!"  
"You... are... stupid!"  
"H'Toth and the infinite column of darkness stretcheth beyond sight! It is written! Behold, they will corrupt thy essence and spread miasma across your faces! On faceless wings of tyranny will the future be restoreth!"  
"I agree with C'Thun, you're all talk and no action, N'Zoth, what a total loser," Yogg replied.  
"Yogg, you want action? Remember subverse 4 of chapter 15, paragraph X! Are you not pleased with the power to curse flesh that our Great Masters bestoweth upon us?"  
"Yeah, but I mainly used the Curse of Flesh because I always wanted to be a pretty vrykul girl and wear a pretty fur dress."  
"Blasphemy!" N'Zoth yelled.  
"Yogg, listen very carefully to me, you are not a girl. You are not a boy for that matter. The concept is illogical for our species."  
"Blasphemy!" N'Zoth continued yelling.  
"For once I can agree with N'Zoth, that was very hateful, C'Thun, you are not helping to create an inclusive space from which we can plot our takeover of Azeroth," Yogg replied.  
"Blasphemy!"  
"Stop!" C'Thun demanded.  
"Blasphemy!" N'Zoth kept going like a broken record.

A dark voice from deeper inside the earth soon intruded on their conversation.

"Silence! All three of you! As of now, you are all under my command. You will watch and learn as I take over Azeroth."  
"My Lords! You have come at last! Smite these two infidelic philistines for their defiance! The Twilight Canticle will not be blemished by these wicked scoffers!" N'Zoth exclaimed overjoyed.  
"Shut up, N'Zoth. You're not a legitimate Void preacher and I'm not a Void Lord. I am Ss'Oros, and I am awake at last."  
"Oh... Okay..." N'Zoth replied feeling embarrassed.  
"An Old God does not simply take orders from another Old God," C'Thun remarked, "do you have... the appropriate warrant signed by the Void Tribunal itself?"

Ss'Oros showed them the warrant.

"Very well. We pledge our allegiance to you, Ss'Oros."  
"Good, you have all failed far too many times, first it was failure to hold the Black Empire as instructed until backup arrived, second it was allowing the creation and flourishing of a Night Elven empire around the Well of Eternity and finally, all your major attempts to reclaim the surface in recent years have been complete disasters. Unacceptable!" Ss'Oros chastised the trio.  
"What do you mean?" Yogg asked.  
"Well, where should I begin? C'Thun, your plan relied entirely on a relatively small insect army gathered in a small corner of Kalimdor. Yogg-Saron, your plan to break out of that Titan prison Ulduar failed. Did you honestly believe it would be as simple as just subduing the four keepers?"  
"Nonsense! My plan was flawless. But I was foiled by hateful mobs who are bigoted against Vrykul women!" Yogg responded.  
"Quiet you. N'Zoth, you think of yourself as leader of the trio but you're the least competent of the Old Gods. All you ever do is rant, slack and maybe occasionally try to use a big stupid dragon to take over the world. The point I'm trying to make is that you're all short-sighted. You see the trees but you don't see the forest. You will not take over Azeroth with that attitude."  
"I blame Y'Shaarj. He was the least faithful of our group and his mini-clones were useless," N'Zoth replied.  
"My apologies on behalf of these two imbeciles, I did warn them to play it safe. Honest," C'Thun responded.  
"Luckily for you three, though I may be technically chained deeper than any of you, my prison is much weaker and I will soon be fully free. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"  
"What do you mean, Lord Ss'Oros?" C'Thun asked.  
"You will find out soon enough, watch and learn. Watch and learn. I have already sent them on their way and once my minions have acquired the Pillars of Creation, it is hard to imagine any force on Azeroth will be able to stop me. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ahahahaha!"  
"Hmm, even the level 120 death knights with 1500 item level?" Yogg asked.  
"What?"  
"Nothing, Lord Ss'Oros."  
"Good, shut up and let me carry out my plans. Stop talking gibberish in an attempt to sound smart. Go get me some coffee. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

There was a long pause after that maniacal laughter... Then N'Zoth spoke.

"Are you gonna free us too, Ss'Oros, once you get the pillars?"  
"Perhaps if you behave yourself, little zealot... Hahaha!"


	2. At Last, The Feeding Hour

_"At last, the feeding hour." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

Somewhere near Silithus, 13 days after the Legion's defeat, a select group of heroes from the Alliance, Horde and neutral factions gathered to investigate the dreadful Wound left by Sargeras when he plunged his massive weapon into Azeroth...

Archmage Khadgar lead the expedition and was followed by Thrall, Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron, Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, Alleria Windrunner, Turalyon, Magni Bronzeheard, Tyrande, Chen Stormstout and even Jaina Proudmoore, who reluctantly agreed to come as well after losing a bet on a Hearthstone game back in Dalaran.

As they slowly made their way into Silithus up from Un'Goro Crater, Jaina reminded everyone.

"Just so you all know, I still don't trust associating with Horde members, this expedition might prove to be another bad idea. But, brave heroes from both sides worked together to defeat the Burning Legion once and for all, so I will entertain this charade of cooperation and mutual understanding... for now..."  
"Plus you did lose that Hearthstone game, Lady Proudmoore," Lor'themar reminded her.  
"Plus I did lose that Hearthstone game..." Jaina sighed.  
"Lady Proudmoore, please, have one on the house, you will feel much better," Stormstout said offering her a brew to calm her down.  
"Uh, no thanks," she declined.

Chen drank the brew instead.

"I've always been fascinated by how you brewmasters maintain and even improve your balance and agility while drunk," Lor'themar said.  
"I think it's just a placebo, Regent Lord. There's probably not a lot of alcohol in it anyway," Sylvanas scoffed.  
"Oh, I beg to differ. I can't even remember what happened that night in Gadgetzan on our way here. Woke up in an inn naked and all my gold was gone."  
"You did not take advantage of him did you?" Alleria asked Sylvanas a few moments later in private.  
"Nonsense, sister," Sylvanas denied.  
"Hmmm, I'll take your word for it, the alternative is too gross to even contemplate."

The group continued on their merry way until Khadgar saw a flash of light in the sky. A strange creature plummeted from the heavens and landed in front of them, about 70 yards ahead. Everyone unsheathed their weapons.

"Everyone, to arms," Khadgar ordered the group, "no, no wait. Lower your weapons, it's just Odyn, wow, I was wondering when he'd show up" he ended, finally recognizing the strange figure.  
"No need for that Khadgar, I want you to show me your Valor™ in combat! I will show you mine if you show me yours!" Odyn said.  
"Uh... perhaps later, right now we have a Wound to investigate and time is of the essence."  
"It is never a waste of time to show some Valor™, come on, Khadgar. Come on, friends. Let's duke it out fair and square," Odyn insisted.  
"I'll have to decline that," Khadgar responded.  
"Very well," Odyn said disappointed.  
"Thrall," Lor'themar said, "you've been awfully quiet this whole time, how's the wife and kids? And what's with that plate armor?"  
"Yeah... Aggra and the kids are fine. And, I'm training to be a warrior now."  
"Weren't you a shaman? The World Shaman in fact?"  
"Uh yeah, I was, but that didn't work out for me. I'm trying something new. Well, come to think of it, I used to be a warrior before anyway, consider this going back to my roots."  
"How's the training going? Can we actually rely on you when the time for battle inevitably comes?"

 _25 days earlier..._

 _"Thrall, you pathetic weakling! That's not how a true orc swings an axe! Drop and give me 50!" Garrosh said, in reality not Garrosh but a figment of Thrall's imagination after spending too much time in the hot sun of Durotar._  
 _"Even in death you just won't leave me alone, will you old 'friend'?"_

"Thrall?" Lor'themar asked again.  
"Oh, uh, sure. Training is going great."

As they entered the desert of Silithus they noticed it had been drastically transformed. The earth was scorched clean of life, the sky was red with fire and volatile magics and the temperature was unbearably hot.

"Silithus..." Lor'themar said in disgust, "this extreme weather will melt all my makeup! This desert is much worse than I remember it now that Sargeras had its way with it."  
"Wait, we have limited supply bags but you found room for makeup?" Turalyon asked but didn't get an answer.  
"At least all the insects died. Ha!" Sylvanas rejoiced.  
"Good riddance, you wouldn't believe how many mosquito bites I had to deal with during the 10 Hour War at the Opening of Ahn'Qiraj all those years ago..." Lor'themar remembered.  
"Didn't you have your own problems to deal it in Silvermoon back then?"  
"Yes, but Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider thought it wouldn't hurt to send a small regiment to aid the effort. Everyone's future was at stake."  
"I can take care of this heat problem," Jaina said covering everyone in magical frost shields, negating the effects of the heat, "better?"  
"Better," Lor'thermar responded with joy.

The Wound was large, bleeding and could be seen from a very long distance. Sargeras' sword was sticking out of it.

"That's the second biggest sword I've ever seen," Alleria remarked.  
"Only the second biggest, sister? What can be bigger than a Dark Titan's sword?" Sylvanas asked.  
"Well, I have seen many things in those 1000 years I was away. Trust me."

A few hours later the heroes reached the edge of the Wound but faceless minions were patrolling the area. The group was quickly spotted and they all descended upon them.

"We have company, they're coming from all sides, everyone pick a spot and hold them off. Magni, what are your instructions?" Khadgar asked.  
"At long last, a fine battle to prove our Valor™! Crush these dark beasts, mighty Valarjar!"  
"Right, lads, first thing's first, if we're gonna mend the Wound, we need this sword outta here," Magni said.  
"Done," Khadgar said snapping his fingers and the mighty sword of Sargeras simply disappeared revealing a massive hole in the planet that seemed to stretch endlessly. Dark energies erupted from the Wound drawing even more faceless to the group.  
"Well, that was fast, what did you do, lad?" Magni asked.  
"Oh, I teleported the sword into the sun, hopefully that won't cause a solar flare or... anything."  
"Okay, but now comes the harder part, you, me and Jaina need to channel our energies to scry into the Wound. We need to commune with the Titan Soul itself and find out all that we can about what is going on and what we need to do next to fix it. We've already been spotted so we won't have much time. Gather all you can."

And so they did. Odyn held off many of them seemingly without effort just killing one after the other.

"Ha! Is none of you beasts here able to match my true Valor™?"

Chen Stormstout hold off 100 faceless just constantly dodging their attack but without being able to kill a single one... at least not until Azeroth's blood was accidentally mixed with his latest brew and suddenly he gained the strength of a hundred Pandaren monks. Hundreds of faceless fell instantly with one blow, but the effect was soon gone.

"I'm going to have such a hangover after this fight..."

Everyone else did what they could, although Thrall was unable to kill even a single faceless.

 _"How pathetic. A former Warchief of the Horde and your blows barely scratch their cursed flesh. You need more training, little Thrall, hahaha! This is like watching a toddler trying to poke a bear to death!" Not-Garrosh mocked him._  
"When I'm done here, I need to train your manners, Garrosh."  
"Thrall who are you talking to?" Turalyon asked.  
"Nobody..."

Suddenly a strange paladin jumped out of nowhere into battle as well...

"Evil Legion demons. Die! For Doloria! Today I stop their Burning Crusade for you my beloved!"  
"Dude, the Legion is over, like that's so 2 weeks ago..." Alleria said to the man rolling her eyes over.  
"Who invited him?" Sylvanas asked.  
"Uh, I didn't," Khadgar responded.  
"Squires! Don't just stand there! Help me kill these demons! Let us free Argus from the Legion's grasp!"  
"Argus? We're on Azeroth you twit," Alleria said annoyed by the man's extreme ignorance of his surroundings.  
"Ah, it's Maximillian of Northshire," Turalyon remarked, "I remember him. He's an imbecile, but he's harmless, just ignore him. Come to think of it, he's not a bad fighter. At least he can kill more faceless minions than Thrall."

Thrall grunted.

 _"Ha! Even a paladin with the IQ of a lizard can best you in combat, Thrall! What a poor display of martial prowess! Maybe you should stick to what you're good at, being a stay-at-home dad."_  
"Garrosh, leave my family outta this!"

A faceless minion broke through the group's defense and headed straight for Khadgar. Khadgar noticed Alleria and Sylvanas were locked in battle with another faceless, but Lor'themar was free.

"Lor'themar, I need your help. Kill this beast before it reaches me and interrupts my spell!"

He didn't react.

"Lor'themar?"

Lor'themar stood still for a while without firing a single arrow at the faceless minions and finally he said:

"Hello, customers nice! Get best gold buy forever please go to forrowing web server. Warning abnormal accounting detected, system will suspend account without notice. Sign in details this is General Motors message speaking, get best gold deal today."  
"Oh God, not again..." Khadgar rolled his eyes.  
"Well, I did say it wasn't me taking advantage of him," Sylvanas said.  
"Explain this odd affliction, sister," Alleria demanded.  
"It's called not having an authenticator."  
"What?"  
"Ladies," Khadgar interrupted, "I need help over here! Get this faceless beast off me before it breaks my spell. Hey, that actually kind of tickles... Oh..."  
"Gladly," Sylvanas said as she fired an arrow into the beast's head killing it instantly. The beast managed to inflict a minor wound against Khadgar before falling, but nothing severe to threaten his life. His concentration however was affected.

After a while the minions started retreating.

"Yes, we are winning! Just a little more time and we can leave this place, continue channeling your spells!"  
"I'm sensing a dark presence..." Magni said.  
"I feel it too, his name..." Jaine said before being interrupted.  
"Look out!" Khadgar yelled.

As the faceless retreated a large army of Qiraji was coming for them instead, pouring out of Ahn'Qiraj without number.

"Oh God, why couldn't Sargeras have nuked Ahn'Qiraj too?"  
"We need to pull back now, don't worry I think we got what we needed," Jaina said and began channeling a mass teleportation spell.

Maximillian instead ran towards the Qiraji army.

"For Doloria! Squires to me! Repeal the armies of Antorus! Sargeras. Must. Die!"  
"Max, no!" Turalyon pleaded with him to come back.  
"Leave him," Sylvanas said, "he's expendable and we didn't invite him anyway."

With Maximillian of Northshire running straight towards the incoming army, that was the last they saw of him before they were all teleported back to Gadgetzan... For now, the heroes were safe and sound. Max's ultimate fate remained unknown.


	3. The King of Diamonds

_"The king of diamonds has been made a pawn." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

The heroes managed to safely teleport back to Gadgetzan. Tired from the journey they decided they would rest for a few hours and then meet back at the tavern to discuss what they had learned. So they did.

Hours later...

"So, champions, now that we've rested a bit and cleared our minds, maybe we can discuss how to proceed further," Khadgar said.  
"Odyn needed no rest, Odyn needed Valor™. Khadgar, hit me bro! Show me your true Valor™. I won't bite."  
"No."  
"It's okay if you have a little fright," Odyn insisted.  
"No. Should we continue the discussion?"  
"Agreed, Khadgar," Jaina said, "and the news is not good. I... I felt his presence. I'm sure you've felt it too. A 5th..."  
"...Old God," Khadgar continued, "a dark foul creature by the name of Ss'Oros... sadly I couldn't gather much information about it because that faceless monster broke my concentration. But you and Magni gathered enough information I imagine, so I guess we'll now hear what you have to say. And perhaps Odyn knows a bit more too."  
"If anyone should know anything about a 5th Old God, it's Odyn," Jaina continued, "Odyn, tell us about this Ss'Oros. Why have we never heard of him before?"  
"Uh... he... doesn't sound like a being of much Valor™... errr..." Odyn mumbled.  
"Odyn, you're the Prime Designate and you don't know that there's another Old God chained deep beneath the earth?" Jaina asked in bewilderment.  
"Well... I was imprisoned in the Halls of Valor for a very long time. And training to improve my Valor™! All I know is that the titans killed one Old God, Y'shaarj, and imprisoned three, C'Thun, Yogg-Saron and N'Zoth. The name Ss'Oros does not ring any bell."  
"Hmmm, it's possible Ss'Oros came after the titans left then, but if so, who imprisoned him and how? Jaina, what did you learn from scrying the Wound?"  
"Nothing good, Khadgar. Ss'Oros is a Old God of unimaginable power, much stronger than any of the other four, much more sinister and he is awake. He is chained, but his prison is weak, possibly not even titan in origin which makes us very vulnerable. I am certain that Sargeras' blow to the planet had something to do with waking him up. I am certain he is plotting against us as we speak. We must prepare... A new war could be coming soon whether it takes a month or 10 years from now. We must..."

Magni interjected...

"Now, hold on a second, lass. Let's not be jumping to the wrong conclusions."  
"What do you mean, Magni?"  
"Ss'Oros is real, no doubt about it, I have felt his presence too."  
"What then?"  
"It's just, when you say he has awakened and poses an immediate threat to us, what do you base it on?"  
"As one of the most gifted sorcerers of Dalaran, having also been a member of the Council of Six at one point, I think I'm more than qualified to tell the difference between a dormant life force and a fully awakened one. I can sense him, plotting against us as we speak. Communing with minions all over the world. Even the leylines change when there is Old God activity. Khadgar back me up."  
"Err... as I said, Jaina, I can only confirm his existence but not much else about this Old God. Your theory is correct, the leylines do change, it's just I don't have the data in this specific instance to back you up."  
"Lass, while I appreciate your help, you are dealing with forces beyond the arcane. You may be a gifted mage but I am one with the land itself. And I have to tell you..."  
"Tell me what?"  
"I have to tell you, you have this thing all wrong. I have been in direct communion with Azeroth herself. Ss'Oros..."  
"Yes?"  
"Ss'Oros is a dormant God. He poses no threat at all at this point. As for the Wound itself, it is not grave. The Wound will heal in time. Maybe the process can be sped up if we send a regiment or two to Silithus along with a group of healers."  
"While I agree that the Wound isn't deadly, the rest is impossible, that's... what about the attack at the Wound?"  
"I don't want to interfere but it is possible those are just C'Thun's minions. It is, after all, his territory. But C'Thun was weakened severely during the invasion of Ahn'Qiraj and pushed back into his prison... He may have surprises for us in store yet, but I also don't think we need to panic without reason," Thrall interjected.  
"Thrall, I'm not worried about C'Thun. Or Yogg-Saron. Or even N'Zoth. But this new threat is serious and imminent. I know it. Everything I learned from my studies of the Arcane in Dalaran tell me so."  
"Jaina, regardless of what you felt," Khadgar spoke, "Magni has direct communion with the Titan Soul itself. If Ss'Oros was any threat, he'd know."  
"I strongly disagree," Jaina said as she grew impatient.  
"Why would Azeroth herself lie about such a thing?" Magni asked.

Something finally dawned on Jaina.

"Maybe it's not her that is the liar... maybe it's you, Magni. You lie. I know what I sensed and Ss'Oros is a threat. The change in the leylines indicate he is sending instructions to his minions as we speak. And both Horde and Alliance need to take appropriate measure."  
"Me? A liar? Have you lost your mind, Jaina? My intel aided you in the defeat of the Legion while you ran away to hide in corner. How can you question me loyalty?"  
"No," Sylvanas said, "I will not jeopardize Horde forces on a wild goose chase. A crisis in looming in Orgrimmar as we speak as well. And my people need food, clothing and shelter more than anything. The war with the Legion has all but drained us of basic resources. I will not institute martial law again without proof of your claims."  
"The Blood Elves agree with your assessment, Sylvanas," Lor'themar agreed.  
"Likewise, the Alliance will do the same," Tyrande agreed, "we cannot spend any further military resources on rumors. Our factions have been through a lot and we need to heal. If the day comes when this Ss'Oros poses a threat, we will be ready."  
"That day has come!" Jaina insisted.  
"Jaina, literally zero people in this room agree with you. Give it up," Chen said, "have a drink or something but calm down."

Jaina paused for a moment and then spoke for a final time.

"I see now. I see now what the problem is. And the problem lies not just with the Horde but with the Alliance's leadership as well. You are all blind. The Horde is run by despicable scheming cowards who destroyed everything I ever loved while the Alliance has constantly enabled them through weak, ineffective leadership. And now these two deplorable baskets of inaction will doom us all to the madness of the Old Gods. The Alliance and Horde must fall, and from their ashes must arise a new order, one capable of responding properly to existential threats such as this. Such as Ss'Oros. If you won't heed my warning, then I shall take matters in my own hands," she said as she stormed out of the tavern...  
"Jaina, please..." Khadgar tried to reason with her, but she was gone.  
"This is exactly the kind of bitterness that would drive someone into the hands of the Old Gods," Thrall said, "someone had best keep an eye on her."  
"Hmmm," Alleria thought, "I'll keep an eye on that one, I have experience with the Void. If anything fishy comes up about her, I'll know."  
"Be careful my love, Jaina can be a bit... unstable, don't underestimate her and don't confront her without backup first," Turalyon warned her.

Alleria then left as well to follow Jaina.


	4. At the Hour of her Third Death

_"At the hour of her third death, she ushers in our coming." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

Several weeks later, Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner was locked in battle in Ashenvale with Night Elven as well as the Gilnean forces, lead by King Genn Greymane. The fragile peace between the Alliance and Horde after the Legion's defeat had been fragile indeed. It seemed as though Sylvanas had the upper hand and was pushing the Alliance forces deep into Ashenvale, all the way to Astranaar in fact. Hundreds maybe thousands of Night Elven and Gilnean troops died that day and Night Elven corpses were even being raised to fight against their brethren. Soon the tides would turn when Greymane would make an appearance in person.

"Enough, Sylvanas! You will go no further!" he called out.

The fighting soon stopped but everyone was ready to resume at a moment's notice.

"How cute, the half-human mongrel wants a truce... This should be amusing," Nathanos Blightcaller whispered to the Banshee Queen.  
"Let us see what he has to say before I kill him and take Astranaar for the Horde," Sylvanas replied.  
"Too many of my people have died today! What is it that you want, you cold hearted banshee?"  
"Cold hearted? Is that what you think of me, King Greymane? I am Warchief of the Horde. Do you not understand why I fight you?"  
"So you can become like the Lich King?"  
"The lives of my people also matter, worgen, including that of the orcs, trolls and tauren who inhabit Kalimdor. Your people have been repeatedly warned to stop attacking our lumber camps and gold mines in Ashenvale."  
"Those are not your resources to take. They belong to the Alliance!"  
"Do they now? Durotar and the Northern Barrens have been decimated due to the Legion's invasion, many of our crops destroyed. People in the Echo Isles and even in the capital of Orgrimmar struggle to feed themselves and their families. Exports from Mulgore barely cover a tenth of my people's needs and I've had three separate riots just in the past week. You think diplomacy is going to put a stop to any of this?"  
"You think of yourself as the legitimate Warchief of the Horde? Very well then, Sylvanas, let us see you live up to that ideal here and now, not just in front of your forsaken people but in the front of the orcs as well, in front of the entire Horde. I challenge you... to Mak'gora! Nobody else needs to die today, just one of us. If you win, you can keep everything east of Astranaar. If I win, your people must leave Ashenvale forever and never return. You may of course decline and forever lose your grip on Orgrimmar."

Sylvanas smirked.

"Mak'gora! Mak'gora! Mak'gora!" The orcs started chanting and soon the rest of the Horde joined in as well.  
"No need to be concerned, King Greymane, I accept your challenge. I hope you do realize what you're up against."

The two leaders prepare to duel to the death.

"You will die this day, Sylvanas, but not before you confess to your crimes..."  
"My crimes?" she sarcastically asked.  
"Gilneas... You invaded her, you decimated her, you killed my son, say it."  
"Enough talking," she said and dealt her first blow. Her arrow missed.

Greymane changed into his worgen form and lunged at her but the Banshee Queen evaded his attack as well.

"Sylvanas, you will confess!" he kept yelling, "You invaded her! You decimated her! You killed my son!"  
"I plead the fifth!"  
"No! You invaded her! You decimated her! You killed my son! Confess! Confess and we can end this!"  
"I deny it! It was manslaughter, I motion for a mistrial!"  
"Denied!"

The duel went on for hours and hours with Greymane trying desperately to get her to confess but it was no use. At some point they both grew tired and started making mistakes, but only sustained minor wounds. Eventually Sylvanas gained the upper hand when an arrow struck Greymane in the shoulder, but he kept going.

"Just... a flesh wound."

The fight continued for yet another hour or so with Greymane on the verge of losing several times, but he would not give up. Eventually Greymane took an arrow in the knee and was forced to kneel, unable to fight any further. Sylvanas prepared to deliver the killing blow.

"Any last words?" she asked.

Greymane only looked up and said...

"You invaded her! You decimated her! You... killed my son!"  
"If it will make the pain easier, yes," a part of her feeling pity for him, "is that all?"  
"Only this... A thousand deaths... or... one murder?"  
"Enough rambling. Goodbye, King Greymane!"  
"Now, Nathanos!"

Nathanos struck swiftly with his dagger and before anyone knew it, Sylvanas was down on the ground, dying. The Horde was in shock. "Traitor!" someone in the Horde crowd yelled.

Greymane mustered the strength to stand up and looked over the dying Sylvanas. Three Val'kyr appeared over her, ready to revive her and send her back into battle.

"This... was not a fight you could ever win! Have you learned nothing? Have you not been paying attention?" Sylvanas said.  
"I've learned enough. Unfortunately for you, this ends here."

At that moment, Eyir herself appeared over the war torn skies of Ashenvale and recalled her Val'kyr to the heavens leaving Sylvanas to die for the final time.

Magni Bronzebeard emerged from the crowd and stood alongside King Greymane looking over the dying Warchief.

"Nathanos, you traitor! How could you? After all we've been through. Was it all a lie too?"

Nathanos seemed genuinely sorry.

"I am so sorry, my Banshee Queen, but a pact was made. It was the only way to... to ensure my salvation..." he said before vanishing in a flash of light, raptured by Eyir up to the Halls of Valor.  
"And you... Magni... you treacherous snake. You were supposed to be above Alliance and Horde politics in your new station... How could you stab me in the back? How could you go along with this charade? After all we've been through in Silithus especially."  
"I serve only the will of Azeroth's Titan Soul... And you have run rampant for far too long. You've become a menace to everyone, Horde and Alliance. Arthas did terrible things to ya, lass. I feel sorry for you. But it was time to put you down."  
"Lies! All lies! Without a Warchief, the Horde will fall into a crisis the likes of which you've never seen before."  
"No," another figured interjected, a human in the Alliance crowd by the name of Lord Jerief Edon, "without a Warchief the Horde will end. It is the only way to ensure peace in our life time. And I am proud to have been part of it."  
"Keep telling yourselves that..."  
"When you are gone, Sylvanas, we will round up and subdue what's left of the Horde. The beast races will be put in their place, we will burn the Tirisfal Glades to the ground and remove the forsaken abominations and we will bring back Silvermoon into the fold. We will be the undisputed power on Azeroth but we will also ensure peace and stability," Lord Edon continued.  
"Our Warchief has fallen! What are you fools standing about? Avenge her! Death to these honorless Alliance!" an orcish commander could be heard in the background.

The armies grew restless and prepared to continue the fight, but were stopped again.

"No!" this time a young female voice could be heard on the Alliance side.  
"Be quick about it, human! You have mere seconds to live before we crush your pathetic forces," the unnamed orcish commander said.  
"Do not listen to Lord Edon's harsh words," she pleaded.  
"Lady Fanita, what are you doing? We have this covered, stay back," Lord Edon asked.  
"This Alliance scum killed our Warchief and threatened my people with slavery and genocide! Why should I stay my hand?" the orcish commander demanded to know.  
"Because there's no need for further bloodshed today."  
"And just who are you to make that decision for us?"  
"Then allow me to introduce myself, I am Lady Fanita, historian, healer in the Alliance army, and priestess of the Church of the Holy Light. I make this promise to you, members of the Horde. Turn away now and you will not be harmed."  
"Why should we listen to the humans who dishonor Mak'gora? And what do we have to return to anyway? A dying leaderless kingdom riddled with disease and hunger. Our people rot in the streets while your leaders unfairly target our mining operations, which we need to provide for our people."  
"Lady Fanita, they are bluffing. They are clearly demoralized and we have the numbers to defeat them, kill them all now before they regroup and return stronger than ever before," Lord Edon kept whispering pleading for Lady Fanita to stay out of it but she ignored him.  
"The Alliance never intended to commit genocide against the Horde. All my leaders have ever sought is to protect Alliance interests. This battle was all about protecting Ashenvale from Horde incursion. I myself as a follower of the Light wished that my companions had fought with more honor and justice, but that was not my decision to make. Now, it is. I make a promise to you now, members of the Horde, on my honor as a priestess of the Light, leave now and you will not be harmed. On my family's honor I make another promise. Orgrimmar will receive foreign aid from Stormwind for one month time. We hope this soften the coming crisis and allow room for future dialog. On my personal honor, I make to you my final promise. Nobody from the Alliance is to touch the body. You will be permitted to return her body to Orgrimmar, or wherever you wish to return it to, for a proper burial. I know we have not acted with much honor today, but it's the least we could do."  
"Lady Fanita, that is not your decision to make. You've no real authority to negotiate on the Alliance's behalf."  
"It's done, Lord Edon. You got what you wanted. Sylvanas is no more. Ashenvale is safe. Now is the time to show some compassion."  
"Perhaps, she is right," King Greymane interjected, "Truthfully, my beef has always been with Sylvanas, not the entire Horde. And now finally she has been made to pay for the crimes she inflicted upon my people. We have accomplished our objective. Let's go home for a well deserved rest."  
"But..."  
"Zip it! We're going home. King Anduin Wrynn and all of Stormwind should be more than pleased once they hear the news, we not only saved Ashenvale but we also struck a blow against the Horde," Greymane stopped him.

 _Meanwhile down in Hell, I mean the Shadowlands..._

"I told ya to stay away from da voodoo..." Vol'jin said when he saw Sylvanas arrive.  
"At least Arthas isn't here this time," she thought. Too soon.  
"Did someone mention my name?" Arthas asked.  
"Oh God..."


	5. Foretold in the Rings

_"Your coming was foretold in the rings. The long circle is nearly complete." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

Days later after the fall of Warchief Windrunner they had finally arrived, King Greymane, Lord Edon, Lord Garson and Lady Fanita. Together they walked through the majestic gates of Stormwind as the crowd cheered them as heroes and showered them with flowers. The four Champions of Astranaar they called them for the role each of them played in ensuring the battle was victorious.

They made their way to Stormwind Keep. At the entrance the young King Anduin Wrynn, now a paladin, awaited them to deliver his congratulatory speech.

"Citizens of Stormwind, we got her..." he announced without seeming overly enthusiastic about it, part of him wishing that there had been a more peaceful resolution.

Nevertheless, the crowd burst into cheers and applauds.

"As you've probably all heard by now, a battle recently took place between Horde and Alliance forces in the region of Ashenvale, in Kalimdor, culminating in a final showdown in the Night Elven settlement of Astranaar. A battle intended to safeguard strategic Alliance interests in the region. I am pleased to announce that we were victorious."

The crowd resumed their cheers and applauds.

"But more than that, I want to announce that SI:7 in conjunction with our Gilnean allies lead by King Genn Greymane, carried out an operation that killed Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner, a perpetrator of great crimes against the people of the Alliance, Gilneas most of all."

The crowd cheered again chanting "Greymane! Greymane! Greymane!"

"Long live Gilneas!" and "For the Alliance!" could also be heard in the crowd.

"Thank you, Your Highness. Thank you, people of Stormwind, it has been an honor to serve you, let nothing drive our two kingdoms apart, for we share a common destiny!" Greymane said.  
"King Greymane has been a true ally and mentor to me ever since the murder of my father at the hands of the Legion. For this victory, I want to also congratulate Lord Commanders Edon and Garson of the Alliance troops in Ashenvale, for their bravery on the battlefield and their insightful strategic decisions that lead to this victory. The battle was not easy, but they held their ground and allowed the Horde to pass no further than Astranaar while sustaining only a tenth in combatant casualty. They ensured most of our troops were able to return home to their families unharmed."

The crowd cheered once again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. For the Alliance!"

"And finally, I am pleased to meet the valiant Lady Fanita, priestess in the Church of the Holy Light and a promising student of history. Her insightful reports into Horde politics and culture aided our Lord Commanders and King Greymane in defeating the Horde in Ashenvale, and her compassion, quick thinking and bravery on the battlefield as a healer not only saved countless wounded troops from dying, but also ensured no further bloodshed was spilled after the fall of Sylvanas, using diplomacy to negotiate the surrender of the Horde forces. My lady... I salute you. You have done a great service to the Alliance in these troubled times."  
"The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty", she said.

The crowd let out one final cheer which was very enthusiastic. The Alliance needed heroes to admire just like in the days of the Sons of Lothar and they were it.

"For the role these four brave souls played at the Battle of Astranaar, I bestow upon them the title of 'Champion of Astranaar'. Step forward, Champions, and receive your just rewards."

King Greymane was the first to step forward. Anduin presented a pouch that contained five mysterious but exquisite looking rings.

"Champions, these five legendary rings of great power were worn by several of our Lord Commanders of our garrisons during the campaign on Draenor... before we had them thrown in the dungeon for embezzling millions of gold... Anyway, four of them are now yours. King Greymane, I present to you, Thorasus, the Stone Heart of Draenor."  
"A fine warrior's artifact indeed, Your Highness. You do me a great honor," he said, while mumbling "Darn cheapskate, useless decrepit ring..."  
"To you Lord Garson, you have shown patience, fortitude and wisdom. Sanctus, Sigil of the Unbroken, is yours."  
"Thank you, Your Grace."  
"Lord Edon, your bravery on the battlefield and swift justice knows no bounds. Take Maalus, the Blood Drinker."  
"Yes, My King."  
"Lady Fanita, it goes without saying that Etheralus, the Eternal Reward is yours. As is our gratitude."  
"It was a pleasure to serve you, My King."

The crowd applauded.

"Lord Garson," King Anduin Wrynn continued, "You have been one of my father's trusted advisor for years, but the Burning Legion has ravaged our kingdoms and killed many of our men, members of the King's Council included. And so with your recommendation, I'd like to officially welcome King Greymane, Lord Edon and Lady Fanita on the King's Council as well. The King's Council must be made whole again."  
"You do us a great honor," King Greymane said.  
"Citizens of Stormwind, this concludes our meeting. I would now like to return to the confines of Stormwind Keep and discuss matters of great importance with my new advisors. Stay safe, stay strong. For the Alliance!"

Later that night during the King's Council meeting...

"I did what had to be done, Anduin," Greymane concluded the long hour discussion.  
"As did I, I stand by King Greymane's actions completely," Lord Edon agreed.  
"That's... okay. I'm not blaming anyone but I had hoped things would be different. That we had found a more honorable way of handling Sylvanas. Light forgive us. The people are happy for now, but what if this isn't the end of it? The Horde will remember this."  
"Your Grace, if I may," Lord Garson interjected, "I don't believe the Horde has ever been particularly fond of the Forsaken undead, especially since the Wrathgate. There is a crisis now in Orgrimmar, yes, but in the long run it should not make much difference."  
"Still, Sylvanas was their legitimate Warchief. And the Alliance killed her dishonorably and defiled the orcish tradition of Mak'gora. I pray this doesn't come to bite us in the ass. The Legion is defeated. We need to work towards a more peaceful world and rebuild our kingdoms. I pray we do not see another large-scale conflict soon. We have seen so much turbulent times in the last 35 years it has started to wear us down."  
"Your Grace," Lady Fanita spoke, "there is much truth to that but I know the Horde can be reasoned with. I proved that when I successfully negotiated their retreat. I fear though, there may not be much to reason with if people are starving and desperate. We are very privileged to have fertile farmlands, which is more than can be said for a nation like Durotar. For starters we must honor our promise to aid Orgrimmar for one month time."  
"I'm very reluctant, but perhaps that is for the best for now, we'll see if the animals behave after that..." Lord Edon concluded.  
"It is done," King Wrynn agreed, "It would be unwise to dishonor them twice in a row. Lady Fanita, since you made the promise, I'm entrusting you to oversee the shipment to Orgrimmar."  
"Very well, Your Grace."  
"I think this concludes our meeting. Please keep me informed on the situation."  
"Will do."


	6. Welcome Death

_"Welcome death. Do not fight it." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

Deep within the crust of Azeroth...

"I cannot believe you would do such a thing, Ss'Oros. I just cannot! For my plan to work, I needed Sylvanas alive," Yogg-Saron angrily said when she heard the news of Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner's demise.  
"Your plan was awful," C'Thun replied, "mine would have been much better. You only wanted Sylvanas in charge because you desperately wanted a woman in charge. Killing Gallywix would obviously be the best plan. The Horde is nothing these days without goblin money."  
"Just because we're evil Old Gods doesn't mean we don't value diversity! And Gallywix is just exploiting the Horde, killing him would actually empower the Horde."  
"See? Your plan is a failure anyway. And you don't understand economics."  
"Sylvanas Windrunner as Warchief was obviously the best plan. Forsaken are highly corruptible. Without the Val'kyr, she would have given me everything in exchange for immortality."  
"Wait... Wouldn't getting rid of the Val'kyr also mean less female representation on Azeroth? They're all female, imbecile."  
"Oh, shut up, C'Thun you sexist bigot!"

Meanwhile N'Zoth sat in a corner chanting random crap from the Twilight Canticle again.

"Silence!" Ss'Oros finally responded having had enough of their whining, "We have a new plan now. Windrunner's death is a necessary step to usher in the next course of action. Our time chained beneath the Earth is almost over. And you three will not ruin it."  
"What would you have us do, Master Ss'Oros?" C'Thun asked.  
"Hmm, come to think of it you're really not that much useful. I guess you could try to secure Silithus, prepare for the rebuilding of the Black Empire. Can you handle that?"  
"Yes."  
"What about me?" Yogg asked.  
"Can you try to break out of Ulduar only this time without getting your teeth kicked in?"  
"No."  
"Well then, you'll just have to sit there and watch and learn."  
"Drat."  
"I'm done here," Ss'Oros said as he disappeared back into his corner of the prison.  
"God, I hate that man," Yogg thought.  
"Did you just assume his gender, Yogg-Saron?" C'Thun asked trying to mock her.  
"Shut up..."


	7. The Pain of Flesh

_"The pain of flesh is fleeting. True torment lasts forever." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

The power vacuum lead by the unexpected demise of Warchief Sylvanas Windrunner exacerbated the crisis in the Horde's capital city of Orgrimmar, a city already riddled with famine and disease due to the damage that had been inflicted upon Horde territories during the war against the Burning Legion. In the chaos, several powerful Orcish warriors attempted to claim the mantle of Warchief by force, with most lasting mere hours in power before being slain by either other contenders or by angry lynch mobs. The last would-be Warchief was reportedly killed by a disgruntled guard, though due to the chaos he was never identified. Some argued it was not a guard at all, but an assassin in disguise.

In an attempt to maintain a minimum level of order in a city on the verge of full blown anarchy, High Overlord Saurfang stepped up as acting Warchief, purely on a temporary basis until a suitable Warchief could be chosen. The elders of Orgrimmar begged him to take up the full of reins of power, though he refused due to his age and declining health. Nevertheless, he instituted martial law and ordered the Kor'kron troops to subdue the city, which they had some success in achieving, but with the loss of the gold and wood shipments coming from Ashenvale regularly, not much could be done to improve the situation permanently, even with a respected figure like Saurfang in charge. The already failing economy of Orgrimmar came to a near grinding halt with many establishments and even the docks coming to an indefinite closure with many ships abandoned in the port along with all their cargo. Also, while the people respected Saurfang, they despised the Kor'kron for both present abuse and past, particularly during Garrosh's reign.

Though the Alliance kept its promise of sending aid for one month time, due to internal corruption such as large-scale embezzlement, almost none of the aid actually reached or benefited the common people. While Saurfang himself was honorable and even ordered the execution of officials caught embezzling or misappropriating funds, in a starving city this did little to deter anyone.

Fed up with the famine and the abuses of Kor'kron troops now in charge of policing the day to day lives in Orgrimmar, eventually large numbers of Orgrimmar citizens decided to flee the city, creating a refugee crisis the likes of which had not been seen since the days of the orcs and humans fleeing Lordaeron for Kalimdor.

For weeks, Saurfang tried to find a viable candidate for a proper transition of power, but trusted none of the contenders coming forward. He contemplated bringing back Thrall and convincing him to take up the mantle once again, but Thrall was away on an extended expedition and could not be reached. It was then that Trade Prince Gallywix stepped up with unique proposal. End the turmoil by throwing the commoners a bone:

Elections. For once, let the people decide. One man, one vote.

Saurfang reluctantly agreed. He never trusted Gallywix and knew that his proposal was almost certainly motivated by anything other than the good of the people, but there weren't exactly many good options left to quell the social unrest. For the first time in history, Orcish society would become...

...a democracy.


	8. Three Lies Will He Offer You - Part 1

_"The boy-king serves at the master's table. Three lies will he offer you." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

 **Part 1 / 3**

One evening during the King's Council meeting...

"So the crisis in Orgrimmar worsens..." Anduin sighed.  
"Indeed," Mathias Shaw noded.  
"Our aid to Orgrimmar was futile... So much death... I can't..."  
"Don't say that, your Majesty," Lady Fanita interjected, "we did our part and that counts for more than we might think. We'll be on the right side of history, I know it. And we can still do so much more."  
"Bah," Lord Edon scoffed, "useless beasts, all of them. The sooner the Horde crumbles the better. How different things might have been if the orcs had never entered our world."  
"Lord Edon," Lady Fanita replied, "we both know it is too late to ponder such an alternative. The Orcish Horde is here to stay and we will have to learn to share this world more."  
"Hmph..." Lord Edon scoffed again at the idea of sharing anything with the Horde.  
"I'm afraid I have to agree with Lady Fanita here, Lord Edon. You're out of order. The Horde has committed many crimes but we will not answer it with genocide," Anduin said.  
"Well, there is a difference between genocide and just leaving them to their fate, isn't it, Anduin?" Greymane asked.  
"No, that won't happen either. Master Mathias Shaw, are the rumors true?" Anduin asked.  
"Yes, they are. Orgrimmar will organize elections next month for the position of Warchief."  
"So," Lady Fanita remarked, "it would seem that despite their alleged savagery...  
"They are savages, woman!" Lord Edon smashed his fist on the table.  
"As I was saying, it would seem that they might actually surpass us with the one thing we do not have. The rule of the people... Are they really that bad that we can't coexist?"  
"What do you mean?" Lord Edon asked.

Lady Fanita looked Anduin in the face and said...

"Tell them, my King. This must be your choice to make as well."  
"Thank you. My fellow councilors, the Burning Crusade is finally over. The threat from the previous Lich King, Arthas Menethil, has been neutralized. Deathwing, the one force that could have sundered this world for good is dead. We have saved our world numerous times and for what? More endless war? The power structures that once ruled Azeroth must be fundamentally reconfigured. The Horde and Alliance must coexist in peace and I have found the solution to finally put this thing to rest. We were strong enough to defeat the Legion and we are strong enough for this change as well."  
"Have you now, your Highness? What is your solution?" Lord Edon asked skeptically.  
"The Alliance will open its gates to the Horde. This is the path. Tens of thousands of Orgrimmar residents are roaming the Barrens as we speak as desperate refugees, struggling to find food and shelter, struggling to escape the tyranny of the Kor'kron. We will take them under our care in Stormwind. They will be part of our Alliance, a World Alliance, that will struggle for peace and justice for all."

Everyone else in the room was almost speechless. Lord Edon stormed out in anger and slammed the door.

"Anduin, are you mad?" Greymane asked, "this goes against everything your father taught you. Everything I taught you. You cannot be serious! The orcs cannot be trusted. You must..."  
"King Greymane, I appreciate your council, I know you and Lord Edon will have strong objections, but the choice is already made. Master Mathias Shaw, you are to contact your people in Orgrimmar and begin making preparations to begin receiving refugees from Orgrimmar and the Barrens."  
"If that is your choice, your Highness, as Master of SI:7 I have to warn you, you are making a terrible mistake. I cannot disobey such orders, but I must strongly advise against them."  
"I for one am proud of your decision, my King," Lady Fanita said, "and I can see that you value my council and my work. I am proud that the Alliance finally has a King who understands that not only can the Horde and Alliance live in peace but that they can neighbors, not separated behind arbitrary barriers."  
"Bah, I should have known it. Another naive little noble girl who thinks she can do the impossible because she's read a few books from the comfort of the her's father well guarded estate. You're wasting your time, Priestess. Lady Jaina Proudmoore was just like you and learned this simple fact of life the hard way. You and Anduin will too. Do you even realize what a few thousand orcs, tauren or trolls in Stormwind would mean? Where would you even house them? How will they earn their keep?"  
"I plan to raise the poll tax to 2 gold per month," Anduin replied.  
"So you have no plan to actually get these orcish refugees to even work?"  
"Saving their lives is more important, King Greymane. I know it. Work will be available, lots to rebuild after this war with the Legion."  
"You plan to raise the poll tax after a war with Legion has just devastated half the countryside? Anduin, have you learned nothing from me? Do you want another uprising against the crown? Do you remember what happened when the nobles refused to pay the Stonemasons Guild? Do not go against the interests of your people."  
"I've learned enough. But we must also bring change we can believe in to the world. Otherwise this cycle of violence will never end. Give peace and understanding a chance. My people will see the merits in time."  
"You'll never gain orcish loyalty."

Lady Fanita interjected...

"If I may, King Greymane, did we not bring half of the Ebon Blade and the Illidari into the Alliance? Was our partnership with them not fruitful?"  
"Yes, but that was different, we had a common purpose and they were still our people. We accepted Death Knights, but never Horde affiliated Death Knights. This is mad."

Discussions continued for another hour with Greyman unsuccessful in convincing Anduin to abandon his plan.

 _Several weeks later..._

 **Lion's Rest**

"Citizens of Stormwind, gaze now on the horizon. What you see there is not just a clear blue sky free of the Legion's infernals raining down on Azeroth but also a new hope for the future. There will be a permanent resolution to the Horde and Alliance conflict in our time. Our victory against the Legion will be a hollow one if we continue to fight one another and destroy what little we have left. And that is why I've begun steps to see not just temporary peace with the Horde but also an everlasting unification with the Horde under a new World Alliance. Their people will slowly become our people. The old power structures that once ran this world can no longer provide for our future. The ships that you see on the horizon will bring in the first wave of refugees from Orgrimmar and the Barrens..."

The crowd appeared not so enthusiastic about the idea... Anduin attempted to get them to start cheering again as they did when he initially started giving his speech.

"Hear me out! Though you may find it hard to accept these orcs, tauren and trolls, these are people just like you. We've fought alongside them against the Lich King, Deathwing and the Legion. We've lived together in the same city before twice, in Dalaran, first during the campaign in Northrend and second during the campaign in the Broken Isles. We do not have to live divided anymore. Give this peace a chance and finally become one people. You will welcome these refugees as you welcomed the Death Knights of Acherus and the Demon Hunters of the Illlidari! For Azeroth!"

The crowd now a little more assured started cheering. Time would tell if they would do so again the next day or the day after... For now, they still adored him due to his victory against the Legion.


	9. Her Heart Is A Crater

_"Her heart is a crater, and we have filled it." - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

One night in Dalaran, the Council of Six gathered in the Violet Citadel for a meeting. As they prepared to discuss the first order of business, what felt like a powerful shockwave hit the city. All members fell to the ground.

"What's happening?" Archmage Vargoth exclaimed.

The council members slowly got up. Archmage Khadgar thought it was an attack on the city, but strangely, none of them could hear any people screaming.

"I don't know... everything is too quiet now..." Khadgar answered.  
"Yes, strange, but I sense a familiar presence," Kalec said.

The doors slammed wide open as Lady Jaina stormed the citadel.

"Jaina! What's the meaning of this?" Archmage Modera demanded to know.  
"Leaders of the Kirin Tor, I have repeatedly sent petitions demanding access to the Council's library, yet you have stubbornly refused to grant it to me..." she coldly answered.  
"That library is exclusive to members of the Council of Six. And you're no longer part of that council, remember?" Modera reminded Jaina, "You were not cast out, you left... willingly. So you truly have no excuse."  
"Jaina, what is it that you want?" Khadgar asked trying to calm her down.  
"The Old God Ss'Oros has awakened and he must be defeated."  
"Jaina, we've been through this. There is n..."  
"Magni has deceived you. All of you. And I will prove it by any means necessary. Now, Archmage Khadgar, I demand access to all of the scrolls that were recovered from the assault on Antorus."  
"The ones recovered from the Antoran High Command's libraries?"  
"Precisely."  
"Jaina," Modera interjected, "those scrolls are still seeped in fel magic. They are not for everyone to take as they please. Besides, you and what army is going to take them? The guards are coming to take you into custody and even if you fight them, it's 6 against 1, and one of us is a blue dragon. Stop this foolishness at once."

Jaina smiled.

"I knew I'd have this kind of trouble so I prepared a little spell before I got here. Everyone in Dalaran has been frozen in time for the next 10 minutes, no guard is coming any time soon."  
"Yet, we are no so easily frozen in time," Khadgar replied, "why don't we just sit down and discuss this matter like mature adults..."  
"The time for talk has long passed, I will deal with Ss'Oros myself. The scrolls please... or else..."  
"Or else what?"  
"Or else the city falls. Literally."

A strange force shook the city again. Something was off.

"Yes, I did forget to mention, the magic keeping the city stable is no longer reliable for the time being. Rather than waste your energy trying to apprehend me, I'd suggest you focus all your power just keeping the city afloat. Or at least ensuring that it lands softly. Your choice really, but make it quick. You don't have much time left."  
"Fine, you do realize there will be consequences for this later down the line, right?" Archmage Runeweaver asked as the Council began channeling the spell to stabilize the city, leaving Jaina to walk around the Violet Citadel unopposed.

At that exact moment, a man walked into the Citadel... Turalyon...

"Hey, what's all the commotion you guys?" he asked.  
"Stop her, Turalyon! Stop Jaina!" Modera shouted.  
"High General Turalyon, I don't know why my spell didn't affect you or how you knew I'd be here but..."  
"Wait... What?" Turalyon asked confused, "I'm just here on vacation. I went to the bathroom and when I came out, everyone was frozen in place... Quite an odd experience really."

Modera sighed.

Jaina facepalmed. Damn those Saronite plated walls inside the Legerdemain bathroom, what were they thinking?

"Lord Turalyon, listen to me," Modera shouted, "Jaina is A-TTA-CKING our city. Stop her now!"  
"Oh... okay," he unsheathed his weapon, "Lady Jaina Proudmoore, you have a right to remain silent and..."  
"Not if you want to see Alleria again, Turalyon."

Turalyon flew into a rage.

"What have you done to her, Jaina?"  
"I caught her spying on me. So I took her prisoner. You'll find her safe and sound on the island of Kul Tiras, my homeland... if you stand down that is."

Turalyon stood down.

Jaina waltzed right into the library, took the scrolls she needed then went off. The Council managed to stabilize the city and prevent its fall from the sky.

 **Several days later...**

The Council of Six met with Turalyon and also summoned other champions to discuss what to do further about Jaina.

Thrall, Prophet Velen and Thalyssra were the ones that answered the call. Thrall had been deeply concerned with Jaina's behavior since the destruction of Theramore. Velen saw Jaina's actions as potentially destabilizing to the Alliance even more than King Anduin Wrynn's decision to allow unlimited numbers of Horde refugees into Stormwind. Thalyssra... well she was just really really bored back in Suramar now that all the Arcwine was gone.

"They have Alleria. My wife! Jaina and Kul Tiras will pay for this!" Turalyon said.  
"She attacked the city with her time warping spell and put everyone in danger!" Modera said.  
"Everyone please calm down. I will speak with King Wrynn myself and Lady Jaina will be dealt with," Velen assured the injuried parties, "but I have to confess, I'm much more interested in these scrolls."  
"I agree," Thrall said, "Jaina is many things but she is not crazy."  
"I don't know. She hasn't been herself since the destruction of Theramore," Archmage Runeweaver said.  
"Perhaps, but maybe we should take a closer look at this Old God problem. If she's willing to launch an attack on Dalaran then maybe there is a threat we've been underestimating all along..."  
"What do these Antoran scrolls contain?" Velen asked the Council.  
"We haven't had time to read through it all, but from what I remember, it's detailed information about all of the worlds the Legion has invaded or has tried to invade. Reports, compiled to serve the interests of the Antoran High Command," Modera replied.  
"So," Velen replied, "I think I see where this is going..."  
"You are the prophet after all."  
"These scrolls may contain information about Old God infestation on different worlds, including Azeroth. If anyone knows anything about this Old God Ss'Oros, it's probably the Legion itself. Jaina thinks these scrolls will contain enough information required to defeat him."  
"Very plausible, Velen."

Velen thought for a moment.

"I propose that we investigate this Ss'Oros threat further, do it the proper way and bring Lady Jaina to justice. Turalyon, speak with King Anduin Wrynn and prepare an invasion of Kul Tiras. Archmage Khadgar will accompany you."  
"Right," Turalyon agreed.  
"Right," Khadgar agreed.  
"Me, Thrall and Thalyssra will travel back to Antorus to find out what the Legion knew about Ss'Oros. We will then find out what his plan is, if he has a plan, thwart his plan and eventually confront him."  
"Uh..." Thrall said, "How are we going back to Argus? The portal closed behind us."

Velen looked funny at him and said...

"Wormhole generator of course, Thrall."  
"I don't know how to use it. This looks complicated."  
"Neither do I, but I know someone who can teach us how in two minutes..."  
"You sure that's safe?" Thrall asked.

 _"Don't be such a chicken, Thrall," not-Garrosh said._

"Sure," Velen replied.


	10. Take The Gift! Take It!

_"Oblivion offers solace. Take the gift! Take it!" - Il'gynoth, Heart of Corruption_

The time finally came for the Warchief election campaign in Orgrimmar to commence. Many joined the race but quickly dropped out and in the end it all came down to 4 likely candidates: Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron, Trade Prince Jastor Gallywix, Tauren High Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof and Ji Firepaw.

Each candidate had radically different policies and used different campaign promises and slogans to attract voters. Lor'themar was the favorite in the race according to the polls, as he used his naturally sophisticated charm, promises of great economic prosperity and experience of successfully rebuilding and running Silvermoon during a major crisis to win over the public. Baine appealed to the crowd of people seeking honor, justice and tradition. Gallywix appealed to people seeking a restoration of the Horde to its former glory while Ji Firepaw... well... we're not really sure what he was all about considering he was the least competent, didn't speak much and only showed up in the polls in single digits, if interest in him was polled at all.

Tonight, they would all come together and participate in their first public debate ever.

The acting Warchief, High Overlord Saurfang, moderated the debate.

"This meeting will now come to order, everyone please be quiet and let the candidates speaks," he said.  
"Thank you, High Overlord," Lor'thermar began, "My slogan as you all know is very simple 'Peace, prosperity, solidarity, durability', these are the pillars that I plan to run the Horde on if you elect me as your Warchief. And I have the experience to do this."  
"Yawn! Boring!" Gallywix interrupted.  
"Quiet! You will speak when it's your turn!" Saurfang demanded.  
"Oh, not a problem, High Overlord Saurfang, I love a good challenge from our favorite 'Prince' Gallywix. Where was I? Oh yes. There are four major areas that the Horde struggles in: food, infrastructure, military and economy. I became Regent Lord of Silvermoon many years ago when the Blood Elves faced that exact crisis. Everything was in shambles due to Arthas' devastation but we recovered. We took back our city, drove away the undead, rebuilt the economy from scratch, ended hunger and... we even reclaimed the Sunwell. My policies can help you recover too if you put your trust in me, citizens of Orgrimmar."  
"Pfft, yeah whatever, you didn't get back the Sunwell, 25 people did... some Alliance members included according to the rumors..."  
"Prince Gallywix, I heard you faced a similar 'crisis' back on Kezan and it didn't end that well for you."  
"Wrong!"  
"In fact, I heard you had to beg Warchief Thrall for mercy."  
"Wrong!"  
"No, it's true."  
"Tell you what, Little Lory..."  
"It's Lor'themar!"  
"Excuse me, I'm talking, Little Lory... why don't you give us some policy specifics? You're all talk, no substance. Like how you plan to fix the poverty and the economy..."  
"No problem..."

Crowd cheered. There was a moment of silence. And then another.

"You may continue, Regent Lord," Saurfang said.

Lor'themar just stood still staring at the crowd.

"Regent Lord? The crowd is anxious to hear you."  
"Hi customers! Get gold price good boost at the forrowing web server spectral tiger! Your customer dedication fills us with dashfhswaifhgasoghaq!"

The crowd booed him off the stage.

"Get a load of this guy! Hahaha! He wants to be Warchief but he can't even secure his own butt. Literally."

After the debate Lor'themar would fade into the single digits in the polls.

"What a failure..." Saurfang sighed, "Trade Prince Gallywix will speak next."

"Thank you. As you all know, we in a major crisis. I've been through one before. When my home Kezan was attacked by that loser dragon Dorkwing, I not only used my affluence to secure safe passage to Azshara for my people, but we basically rebuilt Kezan in Azshara from scratch and we sued the pants off that stupid Twilight Cult and made millions of gold. It was so great. In fact that is my agenda for the Horde, make it great again. We don't win anymore, we don't have victories anymore because we're run by losers. I will not be a loser! That will not happen! That will not happen!"  
"You insult past Warchiefs, Gallywix. You have no honor!" Baine responded.  
"Get a load of this guy, 'I have no honor'..."  
"You will never rise to the status of Warchief Thrall or Vol'jin."  
"Don't talk to me about Vol'jin, alright?"  
"Vol'jin was a great war hero who sacrificed for his people. You cannot, Jastor Gallywix."  
"Listen here, Big Baine. Vol'jin's a war hero cause he got killed, alright? I prefer survivors. I'm going to be a war hero and live. Dying is for losers! Believe me! We don't need losers anymore leading the Horde!"  
"You lack honor and discipline! You will never be Warchief!"  
"This coming from a guy who lives in a tent, I mean come on. Big Baine, mighty Chieftain, living in a tiny tent. I live in a mega-mansion. Do you guys really want to elect a Warchief who lives in a tent? I don't think so. I mean come on, if your leader lives in a tent, I can't imagine where you will live..."

The crowd booed Baine.

"My platform is about honor, tradition and justice. Ancestral values crucial to the Horde. To restore the Horde to its glory is to restore these ancestral values."  
"Boring! You have no real policies to speak of."  
"And you do?"  
"Sure."  
"What policies, Jastor Gallywix?"  
"Jobs!"  
"That's not a policy, that's just one word."  
"Listen, I will employ people in my businesses, I have many, and then they won't be poor anymore. Got it?"  
"What do you plan to do about the Alliance? We've been driven out of Ashenvale. We have no access to vital resources. We are also exposed to potential naval attacks."  
"We will build a naval barricade along the eastern coast of Kalimdor and send an invoice to the Alliance."  
"That sounds impossible."  
"Wrong! It will be great."

The crowd cheered Gallywix.

"Did I mention that I will build beachfront property for everybody? Prime real estate along the coast of Durotar for everyone."  
"Now that really is impossible."  
"Why? It will solve the housing crisis!"  
"We do not have a housing crisis, Gallywix. Half the population of Orgrimmar left. We have a famine and disease crisis."  
"Nonsense, when I'm Warchief, our mages will work around the clock summoning delicious food with great nutrients to Orgrimmar. Tables for all!"

The crowd cheered.

"You do realize that kind of food doesn't just pop out of thin air nor is it free, right? That's not how it works at all. Besides, a diet of 100% mana buns is known to cause diabetes. And causing diabetes is not honorable."  
"Nah, I don't think so. That's just a Pandaren hoax to steal ya food. And by the way, all the Kor'kron that have been causing trouble for the people? They're all fired! On day one I will disband the Kor'kron, believe me!"

The crowd burst into an even louder cheer.

"In fact, I'll disband it now if you let me since the time to act is always now."  
"Hey, that's my campaign slogan!" Ji Firepaw protested.  
"Who let you talk, single digiter? Why you even in the race still, you are polling 1% in the polls, you have no path to victory, you have no path. Besides, nobody wants to elect a loser virgin panda, Ji Firepaw. Well, now we know where that name comes from..."  
"Hey!"  
"You disrespect the other candidates," Baine said.  
"You'll get over it once I'm Warchief and everybody's winning again."  
"Gallywix! Gallywix! Gallywix!" the crowd started chanting.

And so it came to pass that Gallywix became Warchief of the Horde in a landslide victory.

 **Later that night...**

Warchief Gallywix snuck outside Orgrimmar with his two trusted bodyguards and went straight for the docks to meet his mysterious contact, Lady Goblena, a female goblin entrepreneur who had secretly funded his election campaign.

Goblena awaited for him with a contract, waiting to be signed.

"Congratulations on your victory, Warchief Gallywix. Now, about that deal we discussed..."

Gallywix read the contract again from top to bottom and finally signed it.

"Very well, Lady Goblena. The city of Orgrimmar and its docks all belong to you now, that will be 100 million gold."  
"A pleasure doing business with you," she said.


End file.
